Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Telemedicine Programs Respond to Customers’ Health Needs

Benefit Marketing Solutions (BMS) and PTS Financial Services have long been on the leading edge of developing products and supports that meet rent-to-own customers’ diverse needs. Both companies provide club membership programs that help RTO business owners promote customer satisfaction, enhance customer loyalty, encourage customer retention and repeat transactions, and generate goodwill in the broader community.

Among the most popular offerings of BMS’ customer membership clubs in many parts of the U.S. are health services, including telemedicine, medical and dental care, vision care and eyewear, pharmaceutical, chiropractic and alternative care, hearing care and laboratory and diagnostic care – and wellness services – including telemedicine, mental health counseling, and around-the-clock nurse helpline and patient advocacy.

According to BMS CEO Brad Denison, “Our health and wellness programs are a tremendous value for RTO customers, but what sets us apart is that millions of members of our programs that contain telemedicine can access medial care with no consult fee and no additional membership fee. During the current viral outbreak, our club participants can securely access the telemedicine benefit and unlimited consults with a medical professional for themselves or family members over the telephone without leaving their homes and risking exposure to or infection by COVID-19 or any other communicable diseases. When appropriate, a prescription can also be called into the member’s pharmacy. In the 10 years we have been offering telemedicine services, they have never been more essential to community and individual health than now.”

PTS Financial Services’ myDOCTORplanTM has a similar goal of helping RTO business owners empower their customers while building trust and loyalty through providing access to qualified medical practitioners via telephone 24/7/365.

PTS Club Benefits Program Director Elise Boyd Nizamutdinova says, “The availability of on-demand health services via telephone anytime, day or night, to every individual 2 and older for customers’ families is an increasingly urgent matter. When RTO business owners offer telemedicine care to their customers through club memberships, it provides a convenient, affordable solution to this pressing need.”

Nizamutdinova noted the employees of PTS receive telemedicine services as participants in myDOCTORplan and are exceptionally satisfied with its responsiveness and benefits. “I woke up at 3 a.m. one morning feeling ill and called the Plan,” she says. “I was called back in 10 minutes, had a consult with a knowledgeable physician, and at 9 a.m., I was able to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy. From a healthcare consumer’s perspective, telemedicine is an increasingly valuable and cost-effective resource.”

Benefit Marketing Solutions based in Mesquite, Texas, is a provider of customer membership programs predominantly within the rent-to-own industry. BMS offers its clients and their customers a broad range of benefits, including comprehensive telemedicine services.

PTS Financial Services is a multi-divisional company based in Calhoun, Georgia that provides companies the ability to increase revenue through membership programs and other ancillary services. PTS specializes in providing the RTO industry with a competitive membership program that provides valuable protection and savings for the RTO customer, which includes the myDOCTORplan™ telemedicine service.

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.